Gum Prints
In this series, I revisit some of my photographs as gum prints. This slow, hands-on process, which dates back to the early days of photography, changes the way I look at and think about an image.
Choosing my pigments, coating the heavily textured paper with emulsion, running my fingers gently over it as the image slowly emerges before my eyes — that’s all part of the experience. So is the impatience I feel waiting for the next day, and the day after that, when I can carry on developing the print and finally see it finished.
In a way, I feel as though I’m stepping into the shoes of photography’s pioneers. It’s this meeting of photography and the craft of printmaking that I explore in this series.
1 artwork
A closer look at my fine art gum prints
How does gum printing transform my photographs?
Working by hand allows me to revisit the image and decide which details to keep visible and which to let fade into the shadows. The paper is part of the print. Depending on the light, its grain becomes more noticeable and makes you want to look at the work more closely.
How did I make the gum print of La Hulpe Castle?
In this Imaginary Planet, I wanted the silhouette of the castle to remain recognisable. The trees and clouds, meanwhile, draw the eye around the building. By using the gum-based printing process, I sought to preserve this sense of movement whilst giving greater prominence to the shadows and the texture of the paper.